Improvement in railway signals



(120.) 3 Shets--Sheel 1.

DANIEL F. SWEET.

Improvement in Railway Signal. No. 122,924, Patentedjan.23,1872.

Witnesses: Inventor X /Z MM f. 1% W miaw. I Jiforneys AM F/mrmumampw/rcov N Y mam/15.: mun-3 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

DANIEL F. SWEET.

Improvement in Railway Signal.

Patented Jan. 23, 1872.

3 sheets -shw 3..

DANIEL F. SWEET.

Improvement in Railway Signal.

Witnrrsses:

UNITED STATES DANIEL F. swEET, OF OTSEGO, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY SIGNALS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,924, dated January23, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. SWEET, of Otsego, in the county of Alleganand in the State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Railroad Signal; and do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of referencemarked thereon making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a railroad signal, designed especially for curves, and operated bythe pressure and suction of air, as will be hereinafter more fully setforth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the an nexed drawing, in whichFigure l is a side elevation of a locomotive, showing the means employedto create the pressure and suction of air to operate my signal. Fig. 2is a perspective view of my railroad signal. Fig. 3 is an enlargedvertical section of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view ofa part of my signal; and Fig. 5 represents a railroad curve with mysignals in position.

pieces, A A, and a center piece, B, inclosed around their edges byleather, rubber, or other suitable air-tight material, C. These partsare so arranged that the lower edges of the side pieces A A and centerpiece B will be close together, while the upper edges of the side piecesare held stationary at a suitable distance apart by a block, D, securedto them, as shown. The covering 0 is secured to the edges of both theside pieces and the center piece, said center piece thus dividing itinto two chambers, E and E, and is capable of being moved sidewise, asoccasion may require. Through the center piece B is a passage, a, withvalves I) b one on each side, said valves being connected by a shortrod, 01, passing through the opening a. Pipes G G, straight or bent,lead into the chambers E E, respectively, through the side pieces, andthrough said side pieces are also passed set-screws e 0, respectively,for a purpose that will be hereinafter described. On each side of theblock D is pivoted a plate, H, at the upper end of which is the bent armI, carrying the signal J. This plate has a notch, z, into which a hookedbar, f, catches, said bar being also pivoted to the block D, and by aspring, g, pressed into the notch e to hold the plate in proper positionwhen necessary to have the signal raised. From the lower end of theplate H projects a short arm, 70, to be operated upon by a pin, m,projecting upward from the center piece B to raise the signal. Lrepresents a sliding plate, provided at its inner end with a hook, n, tocatch on the lower end of the hooked bar f, it being pressed inward by aspring, p, as shown. From this sliding plate L also projects a shortarm, 8, to be operated upon by the pin m on the center piece B.

The two signals, one on each side of the block, with their operatingmechanisms, are reversed from each other, so that the signals willextend in opposite directions. Two or more of these signals are placedupon high posts suitable distances apart around a curve in a railroadtrack, and connected by pipes in any desired manner. From the first andlast of these signals in the series pipes lead to rubher or otherflexible pipes, K, arranged along and outside of the track. The flexiblepipe K is shielded by a cover or guard, M, open on the inner side; andthis pipe may be of any desired length, depending upon the number ofsignals and the distances they are apart. 0n the side of the locomotiveis arranged a roller, N, in such a manner that it will come under andcompress the flexible pipe K, as shown in Fig. 1. All the signals beingdown, as the train approaches the curve the roller N passes under theflexible pipe K, causing pressure of air through the pipe G into thechamber E on the center piece B. This being movable yields to thepressure of the air, causing the pin m to strike the arms 8 and k of theplates L and H, respectively, moving the plate L outward, and turningthe plate Hon its pivot. The outer end of the sliding plate L beingbeveled, as shown in Fig. 4, and striking a pin or projection on theblock D, it is caused to pass from under the hooked bar 1 until theplate H has r and signal in proper position.

been raised far enough to allow said hooked bar to drop into the notch'i, and hold the plate At this time the valve 1) will strike the end ofthe set-screw e, and the valves b I), being connected, open the valveI), and allow the accumulated or compressed air in the chamber E to passinto the chamber E, and from thence to the next signal, and so onthrough the series, raising all the signals one after the other in veryrapid succession. As soon as the roller N clears the flexible pipe K,the center piece B resumes its original position, and the spring 12throws the sliding plate L inward again, so that its hook at will catchon the lower end of the hooked bar f. When the train arrives to andbeyond the last signal in the series, the roller N compresses theflexible pipe K at that end, causing a suction in the signal, which,being naturally not so powerful as the pressure previously exerted, willonly move the center piece B far enough to cause the pin m, striking thearm 8, to move the sliding plate L, so that the hook n will turn the barfsufliciently to release it from the notch 'i, when the signal will fallof its own Weight.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A railroad signal operated by the pressure of air forced through aflexible tube lying along the track, the said tube compressed bysuitable mechanism, as set forth.

2. A railroad signal suitably elevated and connected with a flexibletube on each side, which tube is extended to the ground within or nearto the railroad track, and is operated upon by a device or devicesattached to the locomotive, substantially as and for the purposes hereinset forth.

3. In combination with the above, I claim a bellows or its equivalentplaced upon the signal elevation to operate the signal arms,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the side pieces A A, center piece B, covering (J,block D, and pipes G G, all constructed and arranged substantially asand for the purposes herein set forth.

5. The combination of the bellows A B O D, passage a, valves b b,connecting-rod d, and set-screws e e, all substantially as and for thepurposes herein set forth.

6. The combination of the pivoted plate H with signal J and arm k, thepivoted hooked bar f, and spring 9, operated by the pin m on v thebellows, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

7. The sliding plate L, provided with book n and arm 8, and operated bymeans of the spring 1) and'pin m, substantiallyas and for the purposesherein set forth.

8. The combination of the flexible tube K connected with a signal, theshield or cover. M, and roller N, substantially as and for the

